We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE PETER MCVERRY Trust has said that the Covid-19 pandemic offers an “opportunity” to significantly reduce the number of homeless people, as the latest figures show that the number of homeless families in Dublin is at its lowest point in three years.
Doyle said that was now an “an opportunity to really drive down the number of people in emergency accommodation”.
“We need to take advantage of this opportunity and house as many single people, couples and families as we can because even with significant drops like this the numbers are still much too high,” he said.
Figures released by Dublin City Council earlier today show that as of March there were 1,103 families in emergency accommodation in the city – the lowest number since May 2017.
The council expects to see further decreases in April.
Pat Doyle, the CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, said that the “decline in the number of families in homelessness is not a huge surprise”.
“From early March we’d have begun to see an increase in the availability of housing units available to rent, these units had been used by the short term letting market for tourists and students, now they are going to people who need a long term home.”
“There are hundreds of extra units on the market many of which are benefitting people with a social housing need,” Doyle added.
The figures released today show that 216 families entered emergency accommodation for the first time between January and March 2020, compared to 276 in 2019.
In the same period, 350 families left emergency accommodation into a home – the comparative figure in 2019 was 237.
As of March, there were 540 families in hotels – the lowest level since 2016.
”Because of COVID-19 there are fewer families and people presenting to homeless services,” Doyle said.
“This is because they are trying to hold their accommodation and many of these will be staying with family and friends and are likely to be in overcrowded accommodation. The challenge now is to make sure we engage with that cohort so that they can secure a home from the place they are staying now.”
Housing charities had expressed concern at the start of the crisis about the potential danger of Covid-19 spreading through the homeless community – with extra beds and self-isolation units provided in Dublin in anticipation of a significant outbreak.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The only reason seems to be that there are no tourists to cater for due to pandemic and it goes to show these landlords just chase the highest yield they can get per year and will go back to that way when the tourists start coming again so it’s up to government to make sure its more beneficial to them for long term lettings which they have spouted about in past but never brought in any legislation to make sure it happened
@Darren Callaghan: correct, however unfortunately you are a bit smarter than most government officials and journal commenters
@Darren Callaghan: You’re absolutely spot on. I also think there’s a feeling in the air that the recession to come from this will be huge, and landlords are surely itching to get tenants in now on a long term contract at the current rental prices before they surely drop some more. It would be lovely to see rent prices drop 30% from today’s prices. It’s very badly needed. Lets get construction back in operation on Monday and let’s bash out 100′s of houses a week and force the price of rent down with increasing supply
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: I have been checking daft almost 3 times a day and there is no prices changes at this moment but number of houses/apartments for rent gradually going up.
@artur filip: I’ve seen a 3 bed house go for €1450 a month in Maynooth. It was rare to see a 3 bed go for less than €1800, some on the market for €2300 a couple months back. I’ve just had a look and there’s a 3 bed on the market today for €1600 in Leixlip, they’re not down massively but they are dropping slowly.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: Let’s hope you get your wish and those who have no work now lose their homes so the supply can be bolstered even more. It works both ways. Fingers crossed for you.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: I think the market is pretty much frozen at the moment. We’ll really have no idea what’s going to happen until restrictions start to ease.
@Liam McLiam: I don’t get you. This lockdown has forced construction on new housing developments to pause. We had a target of 30’000 houses this year. We were already very slow off the mark in January. And now with the 5 week construction pause it has cost us around another 3500 new houses for this year’s target. We need to get back to work, simple as. We’ll be lucky to hit 20’000 houses this year. We failed to meet 2019′s target by 5’000 and we failed to meet 2018′s target by around the same figure. Supply needs increased, it will be beneficial to everyone. And the government need to step it up with social housing, they are failing miserably on that front
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: unfortunately before we’d even heard of Coronavirus some landlords, particularly large international investment firms who’ve hoovered up many of the developments built over the past few years, were prepared to let properties remain vacant rather than see a reduction in rental prices. To see prices drop now would be great in the short term but wouldn’t resolve the issue as we’d still be on the boom/bust merry-go-round and it would actually take pressure off whatever new government is formed to tackle the issue. We need to stop relying on private landlords who see housing as a cash cow.
To keep housing available for the residents of Ireland perhaps we can stop giving work permits to language students. Many use language school as a way to secure employment.
@Rathminder:
Plus it will reduce overcrowding on the LUAS and DART.
Why stop at language students?
Not only have you solved the housing issue but you’ve also solved the transport issue albeit unintentionally.
You’re an absolute genius.
Great news shows the government strategy is working
@john s: Which strategy are you referring to John?
@Logan Shepherd: the one that reduces homelessness
@john s: It has nothing to do with the government. If anything the government have been feeding the homelessness problem for years and years. AirBnB’s have been freed up because of the lack of tourism and now landlords are choosing to rent properties to normal people whereas before they were making far too much using AirBnB. This is where we are seeing most of the properties become available again. Absolutely nothing to do with the government. However, a working government could have and should have solved that problem years ago
@john s: these figures are not due to any strategy. The comment by Darren Callahan saves the bother of explaining.
@john s: So you are saying it was government strategy to introduce the virus to the country and end tourism. You’re right so, it is working.
@john s: Actually I will emphasise how clueless your comment is by letting you know that the current government literally haven’t even included housing on their 7 point policy plan. Literally avoided it. So it actually sounds like they have no plan
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: so homelessness is going up and the government puts a plan in place over the last number of years and now that this is working and the numbers are going down it’s still no good. Some people just like to moan. I’m sure you are not one of them
@john s: Can you spell out the government’s plan for me? Pretend I haven’t a clue and teach me like I’m a child please. I’ll await your response
@john s: are u a actually serious? Homeless dropped slightly coming down because greedy land lords that only let their apartments to tourists, are now renting to local people as there are no tourists!!
This is nothing to do with any non existent gov policy.
have your say